Step 1

Place the fruit and walnuts in a large bowl and cover with 1 ¼ cups brandy.  Stir, cover with plastic, and store in a dark place at room temperature for about 24 hours, stirring now and then.

Step 2

Make the fruitcake.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees F, 275 degrees F convection.  Oil muffin tins, loaf pans, or the baking vessel of your choice.

Step 3

In a large bowl, beat the coconut oil and sugar until combined and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs one at a time.  Stir in the flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom, and vanilla until combined.  Add the fruit and any liquid and fold into the flour mixture until well combined.  Spoon into baking vessels.

Step 4

Bake muffins tins about 30 minutes and loaf pans about 60 minutes, until set and golden brown.  Immediately after removing from the oven, brush with brandy.  Cool completely in pans.

Step 5

After 4 days, remove from pans carefully and brush all sides with brandy.  Or just given them a good dunk 😉  After 3 more days, heat jam in a microwave safe bowl with the water until thinned.  Brush cakes with jam and allow to set at least one hour.

Step 6

Fruitcake may be stored an additional week at room temperature or frozen, wrapped in parchment and foil and placed in a zipper bag for up to 3 months.  Thaw at room temperature a couple hour or in the microwave about 1 minute.